Billy Crystal backtracks to claim he's offended by ANY kind of gratuitous sex on TV

ACTOR Billy Crystal has backtracked on his previous comments that TV producers need to tone it down when it comes to portraying gay sex on TV.

Billy Crystal has clarified previous comments he made about gay sex on TV

The 66-year-old star sparked controversy after he claimed TV writers are "pushing it" when it comes to gay storylines, and that he feels uncomfortable seeing same-sex relationships shoved "in our face".

Speaking to an audience at a Television Critics Association over the weekend, Billy said: "Sometimes, it's just pushing it a little too far for my taste and I'm not going to reveal to you which ones they are."

Despite playing one of network television's first gay characters on comedy show Soap in the 1970s, the comic legend added: "I hope people don't abuse it and shove it in our face… to the point where it feels like an everyday kind of thing."

ABC

During the 1970's Billy played a gay character called Jodie on a comedy show called 'Soap'

However, after provoking a backlash on social media during which he was accused of homophobia, the City Slickers actor was forced to clarify his comments in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.

He wrote: "What I meant was that whenever sex or graphic nudity of any kind [gay or straight] is gratuitous to the plot or story it becomes a little too much for my taste. "

Billy also addressed his comments in an interview with Xfinity's TV blog.

He said: "First of all, I don't understand why there would be anything offensive that I said. When it gets too far either visually … now, that world exists because it does for the hetero world, it exists, and I don't want to see that either.".

GETTY

Billy shared his views on sex on TV while at an event for the Television Critics Association

"But when I feel it's a cause, when I feel it's, 'You're going to like my lifestyle' no matter what it is, I'm going to have a problem and there were a couple of shows I went 'I couldn't watch that with somebody else'."

He added: "That's fine. If whoever writes it or produces it … totally get it. It's all about personal taste."

Meanwhile, Billy is set to return to the small screen in the upcoming FX series 'Comedians', which premieres in April.

The veteran plays a showbiz vet who is paired with a younger comic for a late-night sketch show.